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To be classified as a hurricane, a tropical cyclone must have one-minute-average maximum sustained winds at 10 m (33 ft) above the surface of at least 74 mph (64 kn, 119 km/h; Category 1). [1] The highest classification in the scale, Category 5 , consists of storms with sustained winds of at least 157 mph (137 kn, 252 km/h).
A Category 4 hurricane has winds of 113 to 136 kn (130 to 157 mph; 209 to 252 km/h), while a Category 5 hurricane has winds of at least 137 kn (158 mph; 254 km/h). [1] [3] A post tropical cyclone is a system that has weakened, into a remnant low or has dissipated and formal advisories are usually discontinued at this stage. [1]
Hurricanes in categories 3, 4 and 5 are considered major hurricanes due to their potential for significant loss of life and damage. Even Category 1 hurricanes can be dangerous and require preparation.
Once a tropical storm strengthens into a hurricane, it earns a category designation on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale: 1 through 5.
Prior to the early 1940s, the term Cape Verde hurricane referred to August and early September storms that formed to the east of the surface plotting charts in use at the time. [1] By October 1955, charts used for tropical cyclone tracking and forecasting operationally, such as United States Weather Bureau Form 770-17 and National Weather ...
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale rates hurricanes on a scale from 1 to 5.
Category 1 is the weakest hurricane, and the storms strengthen up the scale from there. If a hurricane is Category 3 or higher, it is considered a major hurricane. Category 3 hurricanes start with maximum sustained winds of 111 mph (180 kph). How serious is a Category 5 hurricane? Catastrophic.
A Category 5 Atlantic hurricane is a tropical cyclone that reaches Category 5 intensity on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale, within the Atlantic Ocean to the north of the equator. They are among the strongest tropical cyclones that can form on Earth, having 1-minute sustained wind speeds of at least 137 knots (254 km/h ; 158 mph ; 70 m ...